Tehran Metro vs Los Angeles Metro Rail

Maps created by UrbanRail.NetWith Donald Trump saying people should evacuate Tehran, I thought it might be interesting to compare its Metro system to a similar sized US city.

Before creating the map above I had no real sense just how many people lived in Tehran, but it turns out it’s just slightly smaller than the Greater Los Angeles Area. A lot more than I originally thought!

So here’s how the systems stack up:

	Tehran Metro	Los Angeles Metro Rail
System Length	292.1 km (181.5 mi)	109 mi (175 km)
Number of Lines	7	6
Number of Station	160	103
Annual Ridership	820 million	69 million
Opening Year	1999	1990
Metropolitan Population	16.8 million	18.6 million
GDP Per Capita	$4,466	$86,532

* Note GDP per capita for Tehran is based on Data for all of Iran in 2022. Data for Los Angeles is from 2021 and comes from here.

Tehran Metro History

Early Planning and Development

1970s: Initial plans for Tehran’s subway network developed, influenced by increasing urbanization and traffic congestion.
1977: Construction began but was halted due to political upheaval and the Iranian Revolution of 1979, delaying development substantially.

Construction Resumes and Expansion

1985: Construction restarted amid post-war reconstruction efforts following the Iran-Iraq war.
1999: First operational line (Line 5, suburban line) officially opened, connecting Tehran to Karaj.

Growth and Modernization (2000-present)

2000: Line 2 commenced operations, significantly enhancing urban connectivity.
2001: Line 1 started operations, centralizing metro routes across key city areas.
2007: Line 4 began partial operations and expanded gradually.
2010s onward: Rapid expansions continued, including opening Line 3 (2012), Line 6 (2019), and Line 7 (partially opened in 2017, fully operational by 2020).
By 2023, Tehran Metro operates a vast network, spanning over 250 kilometers with extensive daily ridership, greatly alleviating urban traffic congestion and pollution.

Los Angeles Metro Rail History

Early Attempts and Decline of Streetcars

Early 20th Century: Los Angeles extensively served by electric streetcar networks (“Pacific Electric Railway,” known as the Red Cars) and interurban lines.
Mid-20th Century: Decline due to the rising popularity of automobiles, highways, and freeway infrastructure; streetcar system dismantled by the 1960s.

Revival and Metro Rail Development

1980s: Renewed interest emerged due to worsening congestion and pollution, prompting rail transit advocacy.
1985: Construction started on the region’s first modern subway, the Red Line (now part of Metro B and D lines).

Operational Growth

1990: First modern line, the Blue Line (now the A Line), opened between Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach.
1993: First subway segment, the Red Line (B Line), opened, signaling a significant investment in heavy rail transit.
Early 2000s: Expansion with the Green Line (C Line, 1995) and further extensions of the subway.
2012: Expo Line (now part of E Line) opened, reconnecting downtown to the Westside of Los Angeles for the first time since the streetcar era.
2016: Extension of the Expo Line reached Santa Monica, significantly enhancing regional connectivity.
2022–2023: Significant expansion projects underway or completed, including the Regional Connector (2023), simplifying network connections by merging and restructuring key lines (like the Blue and Expo lines into continuous routes).

And here are the other data sources used:

Are you surprised by the difference?